Year book of motion pictures (1929)

lobby. The shield contains short titles describing the subject of still photographs. The latter are placed on walls of lobby, connected with the proper titles on shield by brightly colored ribbon streamers. COLLEGE ATMOSPHERE String pennants across the lobby, but be sure to include all the local high schools and colleges. Intermingle the pennants with cut-out football likenesses painted on ordinary cardboard, with the name of the picture, star and play dates. TIE-UPS STREET PARTY For exploiting college or football picture. Tie up with local college to secure enough men from football squad to form two teams. They will be used to stage a number of showy plays at an evening party. Secure permission of police department to rope off block in front of theater. Advertise that on opening night the football stunt will be given at 7:15, followed by band concert. Use college band or local boys' band. Secure powerful photographers' lights. Hook them up inside of theater with enough cable to bring to end of marquee. With the college supplying linesmen, referee, etc., this is a real novelty. BROADCASTING Broadcasting station announces free tickets will be given to the first 25 persons to phone the theater after hearing announcement about the feature. The person calling has to mention the name of feature as code before being eligible. DRAWING CONTEST Secure cooperation of the art teacher of college, or superintendent cf Fchools, on a drawing contest. The subject selected is the star of the feature. A one-sheet can be placed in the classroom so that the students can draw from it. Prizes are offered. Those not gifted with a talent for drawing are permitted to trace and compete for a special prize. BROADCASTING The local broadcasting station can be u?ed for a 15 minute talk to explain how a picture program is c.ed, incidentally announcing the current attraction. Instrumental selections from the theater program, including theme song on feature, can be played by the local college band or orchestra. The theater manager explains why the different selections were used. WINDOW DISPLAYS COLLEGE BEAUTIES Have students of college or high school select about two dozen of the prettiest girls attending the institution. Their photographs are placed on display in the window of a prominent store. A sign announces that the star of the forthcoming attraction will select the fix prettiest girls from the group. The pictures of these girls are published in the newspaper. PRINTED MATTER PASSES Mail passes to all the high school graduates, with a special letter congratuatmg them on their graduation occasion. This is a goodwill builder, and the students are bound to bring somebody with them. SPECIAL STUNTS STUDENTS' TICKETS lror building up student patronage in a college town, or among high school pupils. Place a sign on the box-office headed "Special Students' Tickets." The sign explains that possession of a student's ticket admits bearer for half price. Special notices are printed on theater size tickets and distributed through the college or high school. COLLEGE STICKERS. On a picture with college atmosphere, tie in with college or high school students by printing special stickers which are pasted by the students on their note books. UKULELE CONTEST Stage contest between two rival high schools, public schools or colleges. Assign each school a special evening for "uke" honors. Have deciding contest on a third night, when the "runners-up" of both schools compete. Of course the judges must play safe by giving both schools an even break. Have school pennants and banners decorate stage and lobby. Allow "time out" for school cheers during program. Wind up with a luncheon for all contestants. SPECIAL SHOWINGS COLLEGE NIGfiT If there is no college in town, this special night can be worked with the high school just as effectively. Outside the screening of the picture, turn your program over to a committee of the students. Under your supervision they can build a fine evening's entertainment with their glee club, dancing numbers, and school orchestra or band. Decorate theater front and lobby with banners and pennants. Juvenile or Juvenile Stunts NEWSPAPERS SPECIAL ISSUE Arrange with local newspaper to run off special issue with page 1 carrying an ad for the theater and attraction imprinted in red across the face of the reading matter. Girls or boys in appropriate costume distribute these. BABY CONTEST Arrange contest with newspaper, which feature! baby's photos each day. Mothers are requested to be on the lookout for their baby's photos, some of which are secured from photograph studios and others snapped on the street by newspaper photographer. When photo is published, the parent calls at the newspaper office and receives a ticket to the show. Have the newspaper place a banner in front of its office, and display posters on its delivery wagons, giving publicity to the contest. Good displays can be arranged with photographers featuring baby photos. Work up special lobby display. TREASURE HUNT The latest development in treasure hunts is newspaper co-operation in which the newspaper provides daily clues in cross-word puzzle form. Another version of this buries the clues among the individual ads in a double truck co-operative ad page. This latter idea has the advantage of getting revenue for the newspaper through the sale of the co-operative page. DRAWING CONTEST This is an exceptionally strong promotion idea in building up kiddie interest so important in the theater. This idea is put over more effectively on Western, animal and historical stories, using the Indian's head, tiger's head and old battleship de sign as drawing guides. CHILD ACTORS Before start of a serial, tie up with newspaper for publicity on unique photos of neighborhood kids. The latter are posed in costume, duplicating scenes from the serial, appearing as Indians, cowboys, etc. Equipment can be borrowed from local stores. These can be played up by the paper with humorous captions, featuring names of the young actors. All this winds up with a free show for the opening chapter, the kids using coupons printed in paper as passes. MODEL MAKING Any film subject that offers a chance for model building by boys is set for a good piece of exploitation involving a contest sponsored by the theater or a newspaper. The contest should start several weeks l>efore the film is shown, in order that a big display of the finished models will reap the climax of publicity accorded the contest. 772